Flow within a blood vessel or other body lumen within a patient's vasculature may be constricted or ultimately interrupted for a variety of reasons. For example, a vessel may gradually narrow due to inflammation and/or cell proliferation. In addition, thrombus may form due to such narrowing or other flow problems within a vessel.
For example, an aorto-venous graft may be implanted in an arm of a patient experiencing kidney failure, e.g., to facilitate dialysis treatment. Such grafts may be a fistula formed directly in the patient's body, e.g., through tissue between an adjacent artery and vein or other vessels, may be a xenograft implanted between two vessels, or may be a synthetic graft. Such grafts only have a limited life cycle due to inflammation, thrombus formation, and the like. Once such a graft becomes sufficiently occluded or otherwise deteriorates, a new graft must be implanted at a new location for subsequent treatment.
Accordingly, apparatus and methods for removing material from aorto-venous grafts, e.g., to extend the useful life of such grafts, and/or from other blood vessels or body lumens would be useful.